Modern Bakery

[ Nan-e Sangak ]

I made a diorama to show the way that bread was baked traditionally in Iran. I could show the method of baking a bread called Nan-e Sangak.

Going back to Iran after years (at 55yo), I was amazed by the modern stores. I didn’t expect to see the modern bakery in a country where there was a revolution. When I came back to the U.S., I decided to add a new diorama next to the old bakery to depict the tradition versus modernization.   

The modern bakery was full of different kinds of European bread. It seemed that the owner invested lots of money in making different breads. Comparing the simple traditional bakery with the modern one was amazing.  

The night of the day that I saw the bakery, there was a conversation with my sisters and their family members. They believed that most people still love the traditional Persian bread, but sometimes they like to test the modern bread just for change and fun. They complained about the price, taste, and the quality.  “We prefer to wait in line to get warm, fresh Sangak bread, fold it and cover it with cloth. It is worth much more to us than the modern bread.”

There was a modern coffee shop at the corner of the bakery where it was a good place for boys and girls to get together. This was a rare thing for me to see. It was such a sin before. They had the scarf seclusion now but they had a more westernized relationship. How did the parents deal with the situation? I had many problems with meeting Reza before we were married. Even early in the morning they got together and wore make-up! It seemed more westernized to me —- very confusing. Even cosmetic surgery was happening. Noses are surgically reduced. I asked a physician friend and he believed they do this because that is the only place that is visible.